Rail flaw detector



Aug. 9, 1932. e. L. JONES 370,811

I RAIL FLAW DETECTOR Filed Jan. 28. 1931 A 55 FI q Z.

INVENTO R geolge L..Jones Patented Aug, 9, 1%

UNITEDS'TATE'S PATENT OFFICE GEORGE I4. J ON ES, OF GARDEN CITY, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO SPERRY PRODUCTS, INC OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, A. CORPORATION OF NEW YORK 3m 'rLAw nmncron Application filed January as, 1981. Serial No. 511,059.

This invention relates to rail flaw detectors and particularly to the carriage which carrles the brushes and the detector coils, as shown and described in the patent of Elmer A.v

, Sperry, No. "1,820,505, granted August 25,

y t 1931, for Fissure detector for metals. Said carria e having a flanged guide wheel at each end adapted to engage the rail, is mounted, one at each side of the car, in such manner that it is free to swing laterally of the car. The result of this construction has been that as the body of the car swung laterally, when rounding a curve or due to any uneveness in rail auge or rail tilt, thedetector coils carried y the detector carriage had a tendency to zig-zag laterally across the top of the rail. This has affected the accuracy of testing, be cause, as explained in saidSperry applica tion, the detector coils should move over the rail in a definitely positioned relationship with respect to the width of the rail.

It is the principal object of my invention, therefore, to provide means whereby a constant lateral relationship will be maintained 5 between the center longitudinal axis of the top of the rail and the detector coils. Further objects and advantages of this in- ;vention will become apparent in the following detaileddescription thereof.

In the accompanying drawing, Fig. 1 is a side elevation ofthe flaw detector carriage suspended from a car body, and showing one form of my invention applied thereto.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of a portion of Fig. 1, partly sectioned on the line 22. Fig. 3 is a vertical section through the car body showing a mounting for one end of the detector carria' e. y Referring to '45 and comprises a frame 12 which is free to ig. 1, I have herein disclosed the well known type of carriage 10, emploved swing laterally, and engages rail R by means of a front flanged wheel 13, anda similar rear wheel 14. Any suitable mounting of carriage 10 for lateral movement may be pro vided, such as that shown in the co-pending application of Walter M. Perry and George L. Jones, Serial No. 436,822 for Automatic rail locator for brushes of fissure detector car. Such mounting may consist of suitable pivotal'supports for the cylinders 16, such as pivots 17 inbrackets 18 fixed to the car body 11. ,The said pivots 17 may, if desired, be carried by gimbal ring 19 within which the cylinders may be pivoted. at 29;

The carriage supports brushes 24, 25 for leading current into and out ofthe rail and establishing an electro-magnetic field surrounding the same. From the carriage there is suspended a pick-up or detecting unit 20 ing a curve or for any other obvious reason, carriage 10, frame 12 and wheels 13, 14 may also move laterally. Should this occur, de-

tector unit 20 will also move laterally across the top of the rail. The result of this movement of t e coils has oftenbeen to cut the vmagnetic lines offorce surrounding the rails at a different rate of speed, thus inducing a differential E. M. F. and causing an indication similar to that when. a flaw is encountered, whereas no flaw in fact exists.

To obviate this possibility of error, I provide a simple means whereby the detector carriage '10 with its supported detector unit are at all times maintained in fixed lateral relationship with the top of the rail. For

. ceding paragraph, it will seen that when the car body 11 swings laterally when roundthis purpose I provide means whereby the wheels 13 and 14 are constantly urged in or yoke 30 fastened to frame 12 by means of bolts 31, 32. Between the frame and the yoke I place a wed e-shaped. member 33 in such manner that t e yoke is tilted to twist the plane of the wheel with respect to the vertical in such direction that when the car is travel,-

ing in the direction of arrow A the wheel will .tend to run outwardly until its flange engages the rail R. V This toeing out of wheels 13 and 14 therefore tends to keep-the wheel flanges constantly in engagement with the rail and thus maintains a constant relative position laterally between the detector coilscarried by the carriage and the rail.

In accordance with the provisions of the patent. statutes, I have herein described the principle and operation of my invention, together with the apparatus which I now consider to represent the best embodiment thereof, but I desire to have it understoodthat the apparatus shown is only illustrative and that the invention can be carried out by other means. Also, while it is designed to use the various features and elements in the combination and relations described, some of these may be altered and others omitted without interfering with the more general results outlined, and the invention extends to such use.

' Having described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. In a flaw detector for rails, a carriage mounted for lateral movement with respect to the rail and adapted to be moved along the rail, said carriage supporting detector means, and means associated with said carriage tending to maintain the same in fixed relationship with respect to said rail. a

2. In a flaw detector for rails, a carriage mounted for lateral movement with respect to the rail and adapted to be moved along the rail, said carriage supporting detector means,

and means associated with said carriage tending tomaintainthe same in fixed relationship laterally with respect to said rail.

3. In a flaw detector for rails, a carriage mounted for lateral movement with respect to the rail and adapted to be moved along the rail, said carriage supporting detector means and having a wheel engagin the rail, and means tending to maintain sai I wheel in laterally with respect to said means and having aanged wheel engaging .the rail, and means tending to maintain sai flange constantly in engagement with said rail.

5. In a flaw detector for rails, a carriage mounted for lateral movement with respect to the rail and adapted to be moved along the rail, said carriage supporting detector means and having a flanged wheel engaging the rail,

and means tending to bias-said wheel outwai'dly t cause said flange to engage said rai L 6. In a flaw detector for rails, a carriage mounted for lateral movement with respect to the rail and adapted to be moved along the rail, said carriage supporting detector means and having a flanged wheel engaging the rail, and means whereb movements of said-flange away from the rail are resisted.

. 7 In a flaw detector for rails, a carriage mounted for lateral movement with res ct to the rail and adapted to be'moved a ong the rail, said carriage supporting detector means and having a wheel engaging the rail,

the plane of said wheel being so inclined as.

rail, said carriage supporting detector means and having a flanged wheel engaging the v rail, the plane of said w'heel being so inclined as to tend to move said wheel outwardly tocause said flange to enga e said mile 9. In a flaw detector or rails, a carriage mounted for lateralmovement with respect to the rail and adapted to be moved along the rail, said carriage supporting detector means andhaving a flanged wheel engaging the rail a yoke in which said wheel is mounted, an means including a wedge between fsaid yoke and carriage whereby the plane of said wheel is displayed around a vertical axis so as to tend to move said wheel to cause said flange r to engage said rail. o

10. In a flaw detector for rails, a carriage mounted for lateral movement-with respect to the rail and adapted to be moved along the rail,-said carriage supporting detector means and having a plurality of wheels engaging the rail, and means tending to maintain said wheels'in fixed relation laterally with respect to said rail. 4 a

11. In a flaw detector for rails, a carriage mounted for lateral movement with respect to the rail and adapted to be moved along the rail, saidcarriage supporting detector means a and having a plurality. of flanged wheels en-' ae'raan gaging the rail, and means tending to maintain said flanges constantly in engagement with said rail.

12. In a flaw detector for rails, a carriage mounted for lateral movement with respect.

to the rail and adapted to be moved along the rail, said carriage supporting detector means and having a plurality of flanged wheels engaging the rail, said wheels being obliquely positioned to tend to move said. wheels to cause said flanges to engage said rail.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

GEORGE L. JONES. 

